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More than half of him wanted to burst into Torgul's quarters, demand that the Captain bring the ship about to pick up or contact that trailer or trailers. "Yours?" again Vistur asked. Ross had tight rein on himself now. "I do not know. It could well be."
To appear there might be fatal. Ross was grasped by another and much more promising idea. The Foanna had transported them all to the deck of Torgul's cruiser after asking him to picture it for her mentally. And to all outward appearances the Baldy ship before them now was twin to the one which had taken him once on a fantastic voyage across a long-vanished stellar empire. Such a ship he knew!
Again Torgul's shout halted the crew. "He shall take the Black Curse with him when he goes to meet the Shadow and only one can speak that curse. Bring him!" Helpless, reeling under their blows, dragged along, Ross was thrown into the Captain's cabin, confronted by a figure braced up by coverings and cushions in Torgul's own chair.
"What is that?" Torgul demanded. "A type of ship which goes under the waves, not through them, carrying air within its hull for the breathing of the crew." Torgul's eyes narrowed. One of the other captains who had been summoned from the two companion cruisers gave a snort of disbelief. "There are no such ships " he began, to be silenced by a gesture from Torgul.
Three of the crew leaped to the railing, poised there for a moment, and then dived almost as one into the water. A rope end was thrown, caught by one of them. And then they swam with powerful strokes toward the drifting boat. Once the rope was made fast the small craft was drawn toward Torgul's command, the crewmen swimming beside it.
There was a jetty somewhere ahead; that much he knew from Torgul's description. Those who served the Foanna sometimes took sea roads and they had slim, fast cutters for such coastwise travel. Ross surfaced cautiously, to discover there was no visibility to wave level. Here the mist was thick, a smothering cover so bewildering he was confused as to direction. He ducked below again and flippered on.
It took many years and the combined knowledge of many men among my people to make such containers, such a listening device. I do not have it." "Why then think of what we do not have?" Torgul's return was decisive. "What do we have?" Ross's head came up. He was listening, not to anything in that cabin, but to a sound which had come through the port just behind his head. There it had come again!
"Stand away " One of the others ran forward, thrusting at the tall Rover with a stiffened out-held arm to fend him out of their path. Vistur rolled a shoulder, sending the fellow shunting away. He went down while two more, unable to halt, thudded on him. Vistur stamped on an outstretched hand and sent a sword spinning. "What goes here!" Torgul's demand was loud enough to be heard.
"There ... now ... so...." Jazia stepped back. The head which had faced the sea was lowered carefully to a wide strip of crimson-and-gold stuff she had brought from Torgul's ship. With her one usable hand the Rover woman drew the fabric about the carving, muffling it except for the eyes. Those were large ovals deeply carved, and in them Ross saw a glitter. Jewels set there?
There were some jeers, a sprinkling of threats as to Vistur's intentions. But Ross caught also the fact that two or three of them had gone silent and were eyeing him in a new and more searching fashion and that Torgul was one of those. Vistur laughed. "Well said, fish. So shall it be." Torgul's hand came out, palm up, facing Ross. In its hollow was a small object the Terran could not see clearly.
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